Johannesburg -
Former president Nelson Mandela has recovered from an operation to remove gallstones and a lung infection, the Presidency said on Sunday.
"... President Mandela has made steady progress and ... clinically, he continues to improve. He continues to receive high care at his Houghton home and his daily routine is being gradually re-established," said spokesman Mac Maharaj.
Mandela spent 18 days in a Pretoria hospital after being flown from his Eastern Cape home at Qunu on December 8. His stay in hospital was his longest since he was freed from apartheid imprisonment over two decades ago.
Mandela has a history of lung problems, having suffered from tuberculosis towards the end of his 27 years spent in prison.
"President (Jacob) Zuma has extended good wishes to Madiba on his recovery and once again assured him of the love and support of all South Africans," Maharaj said. - Sapa